They Called Her a Statistic. She Fought Back. Now She's Fighting for the Unheard.
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Governor Greg Abbott endorses survivor, former single mother, and Valley small business owner Celeste Cabrera Huff for Texas House District 40
EDINBURG, 10/07/2026- When Celeste Cabrera Huff finally found the courage to ask for help, the police officer she turned to looked at her and called her a statistic.
Her pleas for help went unheard.
But Celeste Cabrera Huff was never quiet. Even in the darkest chapter of her life, when the person who was supposed to love her became the person she had to survive, she refused to be silenced. She fought back. She took her child and her faith and walked away with almost nothing.
She knows what it's like to have nothing. She was a young single mother in the Rio Grande Valley, starting over alone in the same neighborhoods where she grew up. There was no safety net and no one waiting to catch her, only bills on the table, a child counting on her and a promise to herself that this would not be the end of her story.
It wasn't. She built something out of nothing. She started a business from the ground up. She became Ms. Texas, standing on a stage as living proof that a survivor can rise. She co-authored Phoenix Warriors: Rising from the Ashes of Domestic Violence so no woman reading it would ever feel she had to fight alone. Today, she and her husband are small business owners in the district, raising four children in the community where she rebuilt her life.
And today, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Governor of Texas endorsed her.
Governor Abbott said, "Celeste Cabrera Huff understands the challenges facing South Texas families and is ready to fight for the priorities that matter most: lowering property taxes and healthcare costs, creating better-paying jobs, and securing the water resources our communities depend on. She will be a strong conservative voice for the Rio Grande Valley and fight to keep Texas moving forward. I am proud to endorse Celeste Cabrera Huff for Texas House District 40."
"I am deeply grateful and humbled to have Governor Abbott's endorsement," said Huff. "There was a time when I begged for help and no one listened. Today, the Governor of Texas is standing with me. That means more than I can put into words, and I promise to honor his trust by fighting every single day for the families of the Valley."
"I was never quiet. But I learned what it feels like to cry out for help and have no one listen," said Huff. "I made a promise that if I made it through, I would spend my life fighting for the people who aren't being heard. That promise is why I'm running."
"Nunca me quedé callada. Pedí ayuda y nadie me escuchó. Aprendí a luchar," Huff said. "Ahora mi promesa es luchar por la voz de los que no son escuchados en cada rincón del Valle." (Translation: "I never stayed quiet. I asked for help and no one listened. I learned to fight. Now my promise is to fight for the voice of the unheard in every corner of the Valley.")
In 2024, 161 Texans were killed by their intimate partners, including 137 women, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. One in three adult Texans has experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin.
"The officer I went to for help called me a statistic. I refused to become one," said Huff. "Every one of those numbers was a woman who deserved to be heard and protected. Too many of them asked for help and were turned away, just like I was. No woman in Texas should ever reach out for help and be dismissed. This month, the whole country is talking about domestic violence. I'm going to Austin to make sure survivors are heard the first time they ask."
As former board president of Angels of Love, a nonprofit serving victims of domestic violence, Huff has stood beside women on the worst nights of their lives and helped them find safety and a fresh start.
Huff knows what it takes to build something from nothing, and she knows how many Valley families are trying to do the same thing right now. For ten years, the people of District 40 haven't had a real choice on the November ballot.
"I've sat at the kitchen table at midnight trying to figure out how to keep the lights on," Huff said. "So when an abuelita tells me her property taxes are pushing her out of the home she's lived in for forty years, or a small business owner tells me they can barely make payroll, I don't need a briefing. I've been there. When no one has to earn your vote, no one has to listen to you. The Valley deserves to be heard."
What She's Fighting For
Real protection for survivors: stronger protections, more shelter and services, better training so every survivor is taken seriously the first time she asks for help, and a justice system that stands with victims
Keeping families in their homes by cutting property taxes and fixing unfair appraisals
Healthcare close to home, so families don't have to drive hours or go into debt to see a doctor
Paychecks that keep up, with better jobs so our kids can build their futures here instead of moving away
Small businesses that thrive, with less red tape for the family businesses that power the Valley
Water for the Valley's future, for families, farmers and ranchers
Schools that put kids first, with higher teacher pay and parents as partners
Safe neighborhoods for every family
A government that answers to the people
"I fought for my life. I fought for my child. Now I'll fight for you," Huff said. "To every woman who is still where I once was, I see you. I hear you. There is a way out. And you are not fighting alone."
Celeste Cabrera Huff was born and raised in Texas House District 40, where she and her husband are small business owners raising four children. She is a domestic abuse survivor, a former single mother who built a business from nothing and a former Ms. Texas. She is also co-author of Phoenix Warriors: Rising from the Ashes of Domestic Violence and former board president of Angels of Love. Learn more at CelesteForTexas.com . Election Day is November 3, 2026.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Se habla español
*Pol. Ad Paid for by Celeste For Texas
